I’m really looking forward to next week’s World EAP Conference at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The event, sponsored by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), features scores of informative sessions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities with both current EAP acquaintances as well as the chance to meet new EA professionals. … And attendees are from all over the globe! (This will also include making some time to do a little sightseeing at Walt Disney World.)
Impact Publications, publishers of this blog, edits and lays out EAPA’s quarterly magazine, the Journal of Employee Assistance (JEA), as well as Impact’s Employee Assistance Report (EAR) newsletter.
The conference, to be Sept. 29-Oct. 2, has been a great way to connect with EA professionals to learn about important EAP trends and solicit articles for these publications, the JEA in particular. Some of the articles are based on conference presentations.
To find out more about the JEA or this event, visit http://www.eapassn.org

Of all the off-the-field problems that football players are experiencing these days, this case just might be rocking the NFL the most: Minnesota Vikings star running back and 2012 season MVP Adrian Peterson accused of abusing his 4-year-old son… allegations that have led to his indefinite suspension from the team. Scores of news reports are focusing on key details of the case, including whether the Vikings acted swiftly enough in their decision. Questions like these are for other sources and websites to discuss and determine, not this blog. …

…What we “do know” at least something about is child abuse. That is, if any “good” can come out of a high-profile case like this, it’s that people are becoming more aware of child abuse who might not normally have given it a thought. Impact Publications, publishers of this blog, has addressed child abuse repeatedly in its Foster Care Support Network (FCSN) and Child Care Support Network (CCSN) trainings for foster parents, and early childhood professionals, respectively. The following are among a few key points to consider:

* Abused children express their issues of abuse in a variety of ways… including.. secrecy about the abuse (reluctance to talk about it); entrapmentand accommodation (feeling there is no way to escape it so the child learns to cope with it); and “backpedaling”or recanting abuse allegations (done to restore the family structure or calm a parent, other family… even the perpetrator).

* A therapist or other mental health professional should be involved in cases of alleged child abuse. There are several reasons why this is important. Children who have been sexually abused often have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Other youth may not have PTSD, but have some other diagnosis such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Reactive Attachment Disorder. Only a trained mental health professional is qualified to make a diagnosis and advise treatment.

* Risk factors of abuse: economic, housing or personal issues; isolation from family or community; difficulty controlling anger or managing stress; dealing with physical or mental health issues; abusing alcohol or other drugs; lack of interest in the care and safety of their children. (This is not to say that parents exhibiting one or more of these traits are, in fact, abusing or neglecting their kids. However, helping parents who might be struggling in any of these areas reduces the likelihood that children will be abused or neglected.)

* Signs that child abuse may be occurring include: sudden change in behavior; learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes; or the child is withdrawn, avoids physical or eye contact, and prefers to be alone.

* Important aspects of child abuse to remember include: in many cases sexual abusers are not strangers; the child must understand that the abuse was not his/her fault; when a child tells you what happened, it’s very important to let him or her talk.

You’d have to be living in a cave to not have seen … or at least heard of… the video of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then fiancee (and now wife) in a hotel elevator. Unfortunately, domestic violence is all too common in the U.S.

The term “domestic violence” refers to physical, sexual and/or psychological harm – as well as financial control and abuse — caused by a current or former partner or spouse. Domestic violence is also commonly referred to as “intimate partner violence.” Consider:

* About one out of three American women (31%) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.

* Nearly 8 million paid workdays are lost each year due to domestic violence.

What can be done about this problem? The following are among the recommendations offered by Sandra Molinari, a professional with more than 10 years’ experience in the domestic and sexual violence field, in an issue of Employee Assistance Report (www.impact-publications.com):

* Creating a supportive work environment in which everyone feels safe disclosing abuse. This includes maintaining requests for confidential assistance, and respecting the choices of adult victims in response to the difficult situations they experiencing. Special care should be taken to send the message that victims are NEVER responsible for the abuse they are suffering.

* Seek out the expertise of domestic violence advocates in your community for additional guidance, support, and training.

As Molinari points out, talking about domestic violence is not easy, nor is it comfortable. “Most people – and many employers — would rather just write it off as a family issue, to be dealt with by the concerned partners.,” she notes. “As we have seen, however, it is a widespread ill in our society, and playing the ostrich with one’s head in the sand will ultimately hurt businesses and organizations.”

Watch for a new article by Sandra Molinari on this topic in an upcoming issue of Employee Assistance Report. To check it out and order a free trial, go to the “Employee Assistance Professionals” tab at http://www.impact-publications.com.

Like this:

Every 16 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies by suicide. Every 17 minutes, someone is left to make sense of it. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention).

National Suicide Prevention Week — Sept. 8-14 — is an annual week-long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide.[1] By drawing attention to the problem of suicide in the United States, the campaign also strives to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic, as well as encourage the pursuit of mental health assistance and support people who have attempted suicide.[2]

As part of the campaign, health organizations conduct depression screenings —including self-administrated and online tests— and refer interested individuals to a national toll-free telephone number.[3][4] Since 1975, NSPW awareness events are held throughout the week that correspond to World Suicide Prevention Day, which is recognized annually on the 10th of September.